Everything She Wants
by CrazygurlMadness
Summary: Zelink AU Oneshot. Zelda smiled. “Just jazzy. I’m not in love with my boyfriend. Can my life be any more pathetic?” “Well,” Link said without opening his eyes, “you could be in love with someone who doesn’t love you back.”


**Alright. Okay. I confess. Music influenced this story. One song in particular. **

**And okay. This turned out to be a songfic. I promise this won't ever happen again. Well… I don't think so, at least. It remains in the domain of possibility, but I promise I'll try to keep my inner demons on leash to prevent the appearance of too many songfics on my account.**

**Shudder.**

**HOWEVER,**

_You can just skip the lyrics._** You can read them if you want, as I think they are somewhat relevant and add a certain je-ne-sais-quoi to the ficlet, but by all means, you go on right ahead and forget them. Hell. I don't know what demon possessed me to even add them.**

**Credits at the end.**

**EDIT: Due to a review, I have corrected a spelling mistake that appeared twice in this story. My apologies, please forgive me. I am my own beta, so some mistakes might have slipped in there. Thank you anyway to Selphie Louise for correcting me. I won't go to sleep tonight as unwise as I was this morning. :p**

**Everything She Wants**

**By CM**

Link crumbled the flower bud. It had dried up, and it became crumbs in his palm. With a weak breath, he let the pieces flutter to the ground and be swept away by the slight breeze. He looked up when he heard footfalls on the grass.

_Somewhere there's speaking;  
It's already coming in,  
Oh, and it's rising at the back of your mind.  
_

"Well, don't you look pensive," she grinned, though he saw through her mask. He didn't bother returning her smile. It fell from her face, replaced by a slow, lost sigh.

She plopped down beside him in the shade of the tree, picking up a faded bloom. Fingering it lightly and without looking at him, she said, a sad smile lifting her lips, "Thank you for coming."

He shrugged beside her. She knew he didn't know what to say. She leaned against him. She felt him, strong and steady, beside her. It reassured her. "I wanted to—no, I needed to, um, talk to you."

"I'm listening."

She felt a soft smile tilt her lips upwards. Taking a deep breath, she looked around, taking in the shade of the trees, the sunlight filtering through the foliage or bathing the hillside, the walking families around the artificial pond, the children playing with boats in the small waterfall, the couples strolling, basking in each other.

_You never could get it  
Unless you were fed it.  
Now you're here and you don't know why.  
_

"I needed to talk to someone who wouldn't do anything drastic. Or wouldn't tell me what to do. I just needed to… _talk_."

"I'm listening," he repeated patiently, calmly, not even glancing at her. He'd picked up another bloom and was fiddling with the petals of it. He picked them carefully off, feeling their silky thinness. He seemed so at ease, so unconcerned, that she felt satisfied.

"I had to take a break from everything, and especially my relationship with Marth. He's a great guy, but he's moving too fast and I really don't know what to think of it. I mean, I know a lot of girls would be flattered, but I seriously, you know, when I come home, I don't want to be burdened by—am I keeping you from anything?"

"No."

She laughed nervously. "Because, you know, I'd understand if you had some place else to be—I mean, my personal problems aren't your main concern, I'm sure, so—"

"You're not bothering me, Zelda."

_But under skinned knees and the skid marks,  
Past the places where you used to learn,  
You howl and listen-  
Listen and wait for the  
Echoes of angels who won't return.  
_

Taking a steadying breath, she nodded. He still hadn't looked up. Herself unable to make any sort of eye contact, she twirled the bloom back and forth between her forefingers. "Well, you know. I asked him for a… a… a—"

"A break."

"Yeah," she laughed, raising her eyes to the horizon a fraction of a second before lowering them again, as her laugh died down into nothing. "Yeah. That's it. A…" Her voice cracked. "A break. Yeah."

He said nothing. She collected her thoughts.

"And…" She continued. "And I asked him to not call me for a week. I told him, 'This isn't about you, Marth, so don't get any ideas, you're, you know, great. But I need some quiet and all,' and he just said he understood. I'm pretty lucky to have such a great guy, right?"

"I can't say."

She smiled softly. "Yeah. Well, Marth was very comprehensive. I—I don't know why I even asked for a break. I mean," at this, she turned to Link, who shot her a brief, acknowledging, but otherwise blank glance, "Link, why did I ask Marth for a break? I keep saying how great he is, but I take a break? Have I done something wrong?"

_He's everything you want,  
He's everything you need,  
He's everything inside of you  
That you wish you could be,  
He says all the right things  
At exactly the right time,  
But he means nothing to you,  
And you don't know why.  
_

"You said he was moving too fast for you. No."

She sighed. "Right. But still, I mean, any girl would want a guy like Marth. He's smart, funny, attractive, alluring, he can hold a conversation, and he's interesting… You know."

He nodded in the corner of her eye. She continued, "I must be out of my mind, asking for a break from him."

He said nothing, letting her say everything she thought, without interrupting. She threw the bloom away, into the tall grass, and took another, picking the petals off of it pensively.

"Anyway, Marth didn't call me at all, like I asked, and this morning, the apartment seemed so empty—I had to go out and do something. And I thought, if I didn't bother, maybe I could call you and we could do one of those party days like we used to back when I wasn't with Marth."

_You're waiting for someone  
To put you together;  
You're waiting for someone to push you away;  
There's always another wound to discover;  
There's always something more you wish he'd say.  
_

Link finally did look at her. He lifted his head and gazed at her profile. Then, dusting off the petals from his lap, he said, eyes trained on his shoes, "I have a few appointments this afternoon, but my morning is free."

"Ah," Zelda looked startled, "No, no, if you're busy, it's right, it doesn't matter!"

"Zelda," Link said, and he smiled softly, "I don't mind at all."

She gazed at him, and for a moment, they stayed seated one beside the other, in silence. Then, Zelda said, in a very low, almost inaudible voice, "I still…"

"Want to talk," Link completed, interpreting her attitude correctly. He closed his eyes and leaned against the tree's bark. Zelda nodded, and looked at the pale blue sky.

"It's silly, really. It's just… Marth is a great guy. I really do care for him… But not in that, you know… That special way. And I don't know why."

_He's everything you want,  
He's everything you need,  
He's everything inside of you  
That you wish you could be,  
He says all the right things  
At exactly the right time,  
But he means nothing to you,  
And you don't know why.  
_

"It happens," Link simply said when she paused to hear his opinion. He peered at her when she didn't continue her speech. He found her gazing back at him, and he elaborated. "You don't control your feelings. Sometimes, you'll be interested, but not attracted. It's alright."

"Yeah… You mean as with friends?"

Link was swift-minded enough to keep from flinching. "Yeah. Yeah, something like that."

_But you'll just sit tight,  
And watch it unwind.  
It's only what you're asking for.  
_

Zelda smiled. "Just jazzy." He heard the sarcasm in her voice. "I'm not in love with my boyfriend. Can my life be any more pathetic?"

"Well," Link said without opening his eyes, "you could be in love with someone who doesn't love you back."

She smiled fondly at him. "You're right. It could suck in a worse way."

Link said nothing. She took it as an indication to keep speaking. "Well, anyway, if I muster the courage to tell Marth how it is, I'll be single and alone again."

"You're young. You'll love again," Link said, and she didn't hear the knot in his throat.

_And you'll be just fine,  
With all of your time.  
It's only what you're waiting for.  
_

"Yeah, but I hope I'll find someone like Marth. He's really a good guy, you know."

Link willed himself not to speak. Zelda suddenly turned to him.

"Or someone like you, maybe."

"Like me?" He couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. She noticed it and giggled.

"Well, yes, you're one of my closest friends! You always know the right word; you always listen to me… I'd like a boyfriend like you."

Link said nothing. She took it as uncertainty.

"You know, I didn't mean it like… Um, what I meant was—"

"It's alright," he sighed, closing his eyes again. "It's okay. I know what you mean."

"Oh, good. You see? You really would be a perfect boyfriend material. Why on earth aren't you already married off?"

The corner of his lip went up. "Because I haven't met someone worthy of me yet."

Lightening up, she hit him weakly. "You think you're all that, don't you?"

"Absolutely. The world would be incomplete without my presence," Link declared, his blank face betrayed only by the laughter in his eyes. "In fact, it would not exist if it did not have me to guide it. I am the beacon and it is the ship. I command the world, I guide it, and I have not yet decided on a woman who could appreciate my astonishing-ness."

"Is that even a word, oh great one?"

"I can say what I want. I invented speech, because I am the lord of all things."

Zelda smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck, to his surprise. "I'm happy you're my friend," she said, and he smiled softly.

"I'll be there for you, Zel'." He took a breath and let her cuddle close to hide from the fresh breeze. Her arms were uncovered, and he rubbed them to warm her up. It was still spring, and in the shade of the trees, it was frisky. "I promise whatever happens, you can rely on me." He hesitated before saying the next words. "I care for you, you know."

"I know," she breathed. "I don't deserve you, oh great one."

"You'd be surprised. My standards aren't that high. In fact, even _you_ could reach them."

"Bastard."

_Out of the island:  
Into the highway.  
Past the places where you might have turned.  
_

"I love you."

"Oh, ha, ha."

Link pushed her away and held her arm's length, face sincere. "I'm serious," he said.

She blinked. An uncertain smile came on her face. "What? Did you just say…?"

He nodded. She hit him in the arm. It wasn't painful, but what she said next was. "Oh, come on, Link, that isn't funny, okay? Could you not make fun of me?"

Link, eyes trained on her smile and profile, said nothing for a moment, but finally shook his head.

"Whatever," he breathed, strangely unable to speak loud without his voice hitching. "I'll be getting ice cream. You want some?"

Zelda moved, as though she was reaching for money in her pockets, but suddenly froze and looked at him. "Um, sorry. I'm broke, thanks."

"I didn't ask you if you had money," Link said, standing. "I asked you if you wanted ice cream."

"I do, but—"

He silenced her with a reproachful, warning look, then walked down the hill towards the park path, where an ice cream vendor and his little cart had just finished serving a horde of children. Link leaned over the cart, taking out his wallet with a smile. She didn't hear what he said, because of the distance, but also because his previous declaration kept thrumming along her every nerve.

'I love you.'

She could hardly remember when Marth had last said the words. And when she'd said them, she constantly returned to thinking of other things, never really meaning what she said.

For some reason, she knew that saying the words to Link would be different. Because, somehow, she knew that Link was different in her eyes.

He was still smiling, holding the two cones precariously in one hand and paying the vendor with the other.

What if she loved him?

_You never did notice,  
But you still hide away  
Anger of angels who won't return.  
_

And then, what of Marth? Had it ended, as softly and harmlessly as it'd started?

Had she and Marth returned to being simple friends, disguised as lovers, when Link and she had been disguised as friends to hide their love?

Their love.

_He's everything you want,  
He's everything you need,  
He's everything inside of you  
That you wish you could be,  
He says all the right things  
At exactly the right time,  
But he means nothing to you,  
And you don't know why.  
_

Link was coming back up the hill. She rose to meet him. Wordlessly, she took the cone he gave her, and they both made their way back down the path, each separated by a distance that reflected that which they were supposed to have.

One which she wished only to shorten.

She glanced at him. He was looking straight ahead, an island of composure in a world of spring. The wind tugged at his head and he manoeuvred his cone, never letting a single drip fall.

"So," he said, startling her, "will you two pick up soon?"

She felt a lump in her throat. "I… don't know. Maybe."

"He's a good guy."

"I know."

"He's in love with you."

"Really?"

Link turned to look at her, inscrutable. Then, he said, slowly, "Yeah. Really."

_I am everything you want,  
I am everything you need,  
I am everything inside of you  
That you wish you could be,  
I said all the right things  
At exactly the right time,  
But I mean nothing to you,_

_And I don't know why.  
_

She stopped, turned to him. He paused as well. They stood, in the bright sun, on that springtime path, cones melting.

"Does he know that I love him too?"

Link looked at his feet. "He wasn't told much, was he?" He said, evasively.

"Well," Zelda said, tracing a hand down his cheek, "I think it's time I came around to telling him."

And that was when Zelda kissed Link.

_And I don't know why,  
Why?  
I don't know._

_

* * *

_

**CREDITS:**

**Lyrics: "Everything You Want" by _Vertical Horizon_.**

**Everything else: Me, CM.**

**Characters (I forgot about those. Ahem.): Shigeru Miyamoto. And Nintendo. But that's because Miyamoto most likely belongs to Nintendo. Which would explain a lot of things.**

**THERE WILL BE NO SEQUEL. Don't bother asking. That's like begging me not to finish _Nighttime Activities_ and all the other little treats I've got in store for you. So for your own sake, DON'T ASK ME TO 'please continue'.**

**COZ I WON'T.**

**There.**

**With love,**

**CM**


End file.
